Throughout the twentieth century the process was mechanised and improved and more recent imporovements have shortened the time taken to process olive oil and ensure a high quality product. In 2010 Olive oil from the lamda and Delta groves was processed in a modern factory using a Westfalia Separator
Locations of olive Oil Factories
Most towns and villages on the Peloponnese have at least one olive oil factory which may be located within the town or on the outskirts. Methoni has a privately run factory in the town and a co-operative on the outskirts by the junction with the Pylos-Foinikounta road. Some nearby villages also have their own factories.
The Olive oil production process
On arrival at the factory, the gross weight of each batch of sacks is recorded. The olives are then poured from the sacks into a hopper below ground level and the cleaning process begins.
If the olives have been picked carefully by hand, the sack will contain nearly all olives with few leaves and twigs.
Mechanical harvesting is quicker and easier but the use of machinery means that more leaves are gathered with the olives and these must be separated before the olives are crushed. This is done by transporting the olives along a conveyer from which debris can be picked off by hand.
Another, perforated, conveyor is used during the washing process, and the olives fall though the holes while leaves and twigs remain and are pushed aside.
The next stage is carried out in a sealed chamber where the crushing process begins. The oil is released very slowly during a crushing process which can last up to 2 hours, though modern equipment is reducing the processing time.
Conditions are controlled and carefully monitored to ensure a moderate temperature. You will often hear references to cold pressed oil, first pressing and virgin olive oil.
After the initial process, the finely crushed olives are churned between rotating blades in an open trough protected by a wire mesh or a more modern fullly enclosed trough with a covered viewing hatch. At this point the owner can begin to judge the oil quality and quantity of the oil which floats to the top of the trough.
The aroma, colour, flavour and appearance of each batch is different, depending on the species of tree, soil type, growing conditions and harvest time. Generally, fresh green flavours are produced by early harvesting, while mellow, golden oils are produced later.
Each batch of olives is processed separately, ensuring that one batch is finished before the next begins. The owner's name is chalked onto the machine during processing.
As a by-product of processing the crushed olive pits (seeds) and husks are dried and stored outside the factory, to be used as fuel to power the machinery while the oil is piped into a stainless steel container and the net weight recorded.
Testing olive oil quality
The final stage is testing the quality of the oil by performing a titration, using phenolpthalene to oxidise a small sample of the oil. The oxidation level indicates the quality of the oil and determines its price. The owner will usually keep some oil for family use. The rest is sold to the factory and will be mixed with other batches for commercial use.
Olive Oil from Trigono-Lamda
100 Litres of oil were harvested from the Lamda and Delta groves and transferred by freight carrier to the UK in December 2010. This is the amount allowed without possession of a licence. I am carrying out a feasibility exercise to determine whether to import commercially. In a good year, the Lamda and delta groves can yield 800 litres fine quality oil, while in low years we might expect about 100 litres. If I imported I would consider supplementing during the low years with oils purchased from nearby groves to maintain a constant supply.FAQs
Is this Virgin Olive Oil?
- The oil has an acidity level or around 0.3%, this is well within the 0.8% acidity limit under which oil is considered to be virgin olive oil.Is it Extra Virgin Olive oil?
- The oil was produced from the first (and only) pressing using modern equipment. As the oil has not been tested using the latest technique to prove that it is virgin olive oil, we cannot give it this classification. However, under traditional terms, it would be. The oil is from a single source and not mixed with other oils.How important are flavour and colour?
- This is a matter of preference; however, superior oils have fuller flavour and richer colour. These vary with olive variety, soil conditions, climate and processing time. The 2010 Lamda and Delta oil has a strong green tint and flavour.How quickly was processing following harvest?
Processing must take place within about 3 days of harvest as the quality of the oil deteriorates significantly as time passes. The 2010 crop was processed within a few hours of harvesting and total harvesting time was 1.5 days. This has ensured high quality oil.How can I be sure of the facts?
- As owner of the groves, I travel to Greece for harvesting each year and use the same team and time period. I am present throughout the processing so that I can check the sacks into the hopper observe the process and receive the required documentation showing date, time, premises, yield and sales information. Each batch is processed separately and the owner can check that the processing tanks are empty between batches.What is the time-span between leaving the factory and bottling?
The oil was processed on December 4th, and collected from the factory on December 5th. It had arrived in the UK by December 29th and was bottled on January 15th-16th.Can you show me the process at the factory?
Yes. I have put photos of the olive harvest for 2008 on the website. This year we used a new factory which uses more enclosed stainless steel machinery. This makes the process more difficult to observe, and there are no photos, but the equipment complies with modern health and safety requirements and the basic process is the same.Why have you used plastic bottles?
I have used new, food-grade PET bottles and am allowing time for settling before bottling to minimise sediment. The plastic bottles are lighter weight and less liable to break than glass. Olive oil keeps better in a darker bottle, however, research shows that consumers prefer to see the bottle contents when purchasing.Is there legislation on the labelling of olive oil?
Yes; DEFRA is the UK government department concerned and we have undertaken preliminary research on bottling and labelling. Although I am not a commercial bottler I am following requirements as closely as possible to determine the feasibility of commercial production. Labels for the 500 ml bottles were ordered in January and special labels for 187 ml presentation bottles were ordered in February.Can I buy olive oil from Trigono-Lamda?
Unfortunately, the oil is not on sale commercially. Until 2010 I was unable to justify the cost of importing olive oil to the UK but costs of maintaining the groves continue to rise and the price paid by merchants who bulk buy mixed oil has fallen. I have bottled 100 x 500ml bottles and 50 x 187ml bottles in 2011 and to support the groves would need to sell at £6.00 for a 500 ml bottle and £3.00 for a 187ml bottle to pay for the costs of transport and bottling and contribute to the maintenance of the groves in the coming year.
Download pdf version of: Trigono-Lamda Olive oil FAQs
Eating Olives
